Spellhacker

Publisher Description

From the author of The Disasters, this genre-bending YA fantasy heist story is perfect for fans of Marie Lu and Amie Kaufman.

In Kyrkarta, magic—known as maz—was once a freely available natural resource. Then an earthquake released a magical plague, killing thousands and opening the door for a greedy corporation to make maz a commodity that’s tightly controlled—and, of course, outrageously expensive.

Which is why Diz and her three best friends run a highly lucrative, highly illegal maz siphoning gig on the side. Their next job is supposed to be their last heist ever.

But when their plan turns up a powerful new strain of maz that (literally) blows up in their faces, they’re driven to unravel a conspiracy at the very center of the spellplague—and possibly save the world. No pressure.

PUBLISHERS WEEKLYNOV 25, 2019

In a world where 14 strains of magic, called maz, are regulated by Maz Management Corporation, 18-year-old tech genius Dizmon "Diz" Hela and her best friends are pulling off their final maz siphoning heist before the latter leave Kyrkarta for Jattapore. A decade ago, an earthquake released the spellplague, or contaminated maz, into the world, killing thousands and infecting many others with a chronic illness that worsens with time. MMC stepped in to clean up and now charges for maz. Orphaned by the spellplague, Diz, caretaker Jaesin, and nonbinary spellweaver Remi formed a family, adopting wealthy techwitch Ania though her parents are still alive. The group began siphoning maz from MMC to make money, but they quickly find themselves in the middle of a larger conspiracy involving the spellplague and a new kind of maz called maz-15. England (The Disasters) creates a well-rounded, multicultural crew in a world that blends fantasy and science fiction. Though some plot twists are predictable, England successfully develops the intrigue surrounding maz-15, and the will-they/won't-they nature of Remi and Diz's relationship keeps the story engaging. Ages 14 up.